Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (Franz
Josef Maria Aloys Alfred Karl Johannes Heinrich Michael Georg Ignaz
Benediktus Gerhardus Majella; 16 August 1906 – 13 November
1989) was the Sovereign Prince of
Liechtenstein from 1938 until his death.
Franz Joseph was the son of Prince Aloys of
Liechtenstein and Archduchess
Elisabeth Amalie of Austria. He succeeded his childless
great-uncle, Prince Franz I, after his father
renounced his right of succession in his favour in 1923.
During his reign women received voting rights for the first
time, following a
referendum on the topic (among men only) in 1984.
Franz Joseph was an extremely popular sovereign in Liechtenstein. He was the first ruling prince
to live full-time in the principality. He also oversaw the economic
development of Liechtenstein from a poor agricultural backwater
into one of the richest countries (per capita) in the world.
On 7 March 1943, at Vaduz,
Franz Joseph II married Countess Georgina von
Wilczek (24 October 1921 – 18 October 1989). They had
five children:
- Hans-Adam II, Prince
of Liechtenstein (born 14 February 1945, Zurich), married Countess Marie Aglaë of
Wchinitz and Tettau and had four children.
- Prince Philipp
Erasmus of Liechtenstein (full name: Prince Philipp Erasmus
Alois Ferdinand Maria Sebaldus, born 19 August 1946, Zürich). Married in Brussels on 11 September 1971 Isabelle Fernande
Ghislaine Guillemette Elisabeth de L´Arbre de Malander (born 24
November 1947, Ronse), daughter of Jean Baptiste de L´Arbre de
Malander and wife Guillemette Grassal. Together, they have 3 sons:
- Prince Alexander Wilhelm Hans Adam of Liechtenstein (born 19
May 1972, Basel). Married civilly in Vaduz on 24
January 2003 and religiously in Salzburg on 8 February 2003 Astrid Barbara Kohl (born 13 September 1968, Regensburg), daughter of Theodor Kohl and wife
Ingrid Schlechta. They had one
daughter:
- Princess Theodora Alexandra Isabella Antonia Nora Marie of
Liechtenstein (born 20 November 2004, Chêne-Bougeries, Geneva,
Switzerland), founder of the Green Teen Team
wildlife project.[3]
- Prince Wenzeslaus of
Liechtenstein (born 12 May 1974, Uccle). He
used to date model Adriana Lima.
- Prince Rudolf Ferdinand of Liechtenstein (b. Uccle, 7
September 1975). Married in Istanbul on 20 April 2012 Miss Tilsim Tanberk.
- Princess Alienor Faye of Liechtenstein (29 September 2014 - 13
December 2015)
[4]
- Prince Nikolaus of
Liechtenstein (born 24 October 1947, Zurich), married Princess Margaretha of
Luxembourg, and had four children.
- Princess Nora of
Liechtenstein (born 31 October 1950, Zurich), married in Vaduz
civilly on 10 June 1988 and religiously on 11 June 1988 Vicente Sartorius y
Cabeza de Vaca, 3rd Marqués de Mariño (Madrid,
30 November 1931 – Ibiza, 22
June 2002), and had an only daughter:
- Doña María Teresa Sartorius y de Liechtenstein (b. Madrid,
21 November 1992).
- Prince
Franz Josef of Liechtenstein (Zurich,
19 November 1962 – Vaduz, 28
February 1991).
Georgine "Gina" von Wilczek (Georgine Norberte
Johanna Franziska Antonie Marie Raphaela; 24 October 1921 –
18 October 1989) was the daughter and only child of Ferdinand
Maria, Count of Wilczek (1893–1977), and his wife, Countess
Norbertine Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau
(1888–1923).
[1]
She was born in
Graz, and was the mother of Prince
Hans-Adam II of
Liechtenstein.
On 7 March 1943, at Vaduz, she
married Franz Joseph II,
Prince of Liechtenstein, and by him became the mother of five
children:
Georgina was founder and president of the Liechtenstein
Red
Cross, and was also active in many other charities.[4]
She died in
Grabs,
Switzerland, in October 1989, a month before her
husband.
[4][5]
She had been hospitalized for an undisclosed illness leading up to
her death.
François-Joseph II (en
allemand :
Franz Joseph II), né le
16 août 1906 et mort le
13 novembre 1989, est le
prince souverain de
Liechtenstein de
1938 à
1989.
Il est le fils aîné du prince Aloïs de
Liechtenstein et de son épouse la princesse impériale et
archiduchesse Elisabeth von
Habsburg-Lothringen, nièce de l´empereur Franz Joseph Ier
d´Autriche.
Le prince Franz Joseph est le filleul de son grand-oncle,
l´empereur François-Joseph Ier d´Autriche, dont il
reçoit son prénom composé.
- 16 août 1906 : à sa naissance, Franz Joseph est
quatrième dans l´ordre de succession au trône.
- 26 février 1923 :
son père, Alois de Liechtenstein renonçant à ses droits en sa
faveur, il devient ainsi deuxième dans l´ordre de succession au
trône.
- 11 février 1929 : à
la mort du prince souverain Johann II, son oncle, le prince
Franz Ier
accède au trône et Franz Joseph devient l´héritier présomptif du
trône.
- 25 juillet 1938 :
il succède à son cousin et grand-oncle, le prince souverain Franz
Ier, mort sans enfant.
Le prince Franz Joseph II a épousé à Vaduz le 7
mars 1943 la comtesse Georgina von Wilczek (Graz, 24
octobre 1921-Grabs 18 octobre 1989).
De cette union naîtront cinq enfants :
Georgina von Wilczek (
Graz,
Autriche,
24 octobre 1921-
Grabs,
Suisse,
18 octobre 1989) était
la fille et seul enfant de Ferdinand Maria, comte de Wilczek
(1893-1977) et son épouse, la comtesse Norbertine Kinsky von und
Wchinitz Tettau (1888- 1923)
1.
Elle était la mère du prince
Hans-Adam II de Liechtenstein .